Paint collar



March 1959 J. CHOVANES 2,878,956

.PAINT COLLAR Filed Jan. 18, 1957 FIG. I.

IN V EN TOR.

J as e ph Chovones United states Patent PAINT COLLAR Joseph Chovanes, Hazleton, Pa.

Application January 18, 1957, Serial No. 634,887

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-4) This invention relates to paint cans and more particularly to attachable collars therefor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a paint can collar which may be easily and readily attached to the open top of the conventional paint can to prevent the dripping of the paint onto the can and the surrounding area and to facilitate the pouring of the same.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a paint can collar of the above type which includes novel means for locking the same within the open top of the paint can.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a paint can collar bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture, and efficient in use.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in operative use;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the blank from which the invention is formed; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the invention showing the manner in which the same engages the open top of the paint can.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, indicates generally a conventional paint can having an open top around which is secured the channel shaped annular member or rim 11 which terminates in the inwardly extending flange 12, substantially as illustrated and in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

In the practice of my invention, a collar is provided for easy and firm engagement with the open top of the paint can 10 and includes a rectangular strip 13 of metal or other suitable material integrally formed at one end thereof with the reduced rectangular tongue 14 which is adapted to pass through the laterally extending slot 15 provided near the other end of the strip. As a means for preventing the edge 16 of the collar from cutting into the slot 15 at the other end thereof, the strip is formed with an additional projection 17 which receives thereunder the edge 16.

As a means of retaining the tongue 14 within the slot 15, the tongue 14 is provided with a pair ofvertically spaced tongues 18 stamped therein in co-linear relationship with the edge 16 which engage the portion of the strips surrounding the slot 15, as shown in Fig. 1. Thus, the projection 17 serves as a stop for the edge 16 and the projections 18 serve as a stop to prevent the removal of the tongue 14 from the slot 15.

The collar 13 at its upper longitudinal edge is formed with the inwardly and downwardly bent rim 19 and therebelow is provided with the outwardly stamped annular groove 20 which will prevent the paint from dripping. The collar 13 near its lower edge is formed with the outwardly stamped annular ridge 21 which is adapted to abut the top of the flange 12 of the paint can, as shown in Fig. 3, to limit the downward movement of the collar.

As a means of preventing outward displacement of the collar relative to the flange 12, the strip or collar 13 along its lower edge is formed with the longitudinally spaced, outwardly stamped fingers 22 which engage the undersurface of the flange 12, as shown in Fig. 3.

To assemble the collar, the collar is bent into the cylindrical configuration of Fig. 1, and the tongue 14 is placed into the slot 15, making sure that the projections 18 catch. The collar is then placed into the paint can and pressed downwardly until the fingers 22 lock into place below the flange 12.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A paint can collar for a paint can having an inwardly extending angular flange, at its open top end comprising, in combination, a hollow cylindrical collar having overlapping end portions, means for securing said overlapping end portions together comprising a reduced tongue integrally formed in one end of said collar, the other end of said collar having a transverse slot receiving said tongue therethrough, said tongue having a plurality of laterally spaced stamped projections in alignment with the tongue carrying end of said collar locking said tongue within said slot in response to engagement of the slot defining portions of said collar therewith, said collar below said slot having an additional projection engaging the end of said collar having said tongue to prevent said edge from cutting into said slot defining portions, said collar including a radially outwardly extending annular ridge adjacent to the lower edge therein to abut the top of the paint can flange, and said collar below said ridge in vertically spaced relationship thereto being formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced and outwardly extending fingers adapted to engage the undersurface of the paint can flange for maintaining assembly of the collar therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 195,080 Beal Sept. 11, 1877 363,382 Crawford Aug. 16, 1887 852,566 Lane May 7, 1907 1,153,757 Brending Sept. 14, 1915 1,160,611 Hudson Nov. 16, 1915 1,746,429 Kelleway Feb. 11, 1930 2,552,702 Wolfolk May 15, 1951 2,771,208 Chovanes Nov. 20, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 153,565 Switzerland June 16, 1932 

